Exploding the myth that the past was a simpler time, historical fantasist Jackson (pseudonym of David B. Coe, author of 2010’s The Dark-Eyes’ War) takes a tour of Boston’s high and low life before the Revolution. Ex-convict Ethan Kaille has turned spell-casting thieftaker, tracking down stolen goods for reward. When wealthy Abner Berson persuades him to find the missing brooch taken from Benson’s murdered daughter, Jennifer, Ethan is entangled in the greater mystery of who killed her and how. Jennifer’s unmarked corpse shows traces of magic, conjured by a sorcerer of greater skill than Ethan. Interrogating Stamp Act rioters and mingling with Sons of Liberty like Samuel Adams, Ethan has to survive professional rival Sephira Pryce’s ambushes in order to unmask the unknown sorcerer who may be orchestrating a rebellion. Though Jackson’s detailed attention to period language and Latin spell-casting is hampered by the tale’s modern hard-boiled tone, he has produced a noteworthy series opener. Agent: Lucienne Diver, the Knight Agency. (July)